Meditation--A Whouffaldi Oneshot
by CC's World
Summary: The Doctor is having stress issues. Clara has the brilliant idea of meditation for his relaxation-how many times will this technique save their lives?


Clara woke up refreshed, the whooshing sound of the TARDIS a nice way to get up in the morning. If this was even morning….She slipped her nightgown off and put on a pair of jeans and a pretty blue blouse with a slightly plunging neckline and headed for the console room.

"Good morning, Doctor," she said to the man leaning over the controls.

He didn't turn as he said, "Hello, Clara."

"Having fun, are you?" she asked.

"Absolutely." That accent.

"So, Doctor, what's for breakfast?" She walked over to stand next to him.

He finally glanced over, then turned quickly back to his work. "Clara, why are you showing so much...thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why is your shirt so...thing?"

"Oh...do you want me to put a tank on under it?"

"If you could, please, Clara. Meet me in the kitchen; the TARDIS should have breakfast ready by then."

"Fine by me." She turned and went to her room, leaving the Doctor to keep doing whatever he was doing.

When she was done, she made her way to the kitchen, hoping the TARDIS wouldn't get her lost on the way there. It didn't, thankfully. "Mmm," she said, "it smells good. What is it?"

"Try it first. It's good, trust me."

"The other you would have straightened his bowtie before saying 'trust me.'"

He looked just a little hurt, then sad. But then again, he almost always looked sad anymore. This was _not_ normal. He usually was just cranky and irritable and...and...and so bloody loveable.

"Doctor, are you okay?"

He looked up, startled, his shoulders tense. "What? Oh, fine. Clara, you still haven't tried your breakfast."

"I think...you're more important than my breakfast. We need to talk."

"Fine. Let's go to the sitting room."

The Doctor led Clara to the sitting room of the TARDIS, where they sat down on opposite sides of the soft red sofa and eyed each other awkwardly. "So, Doctor...what seems to be troubling you?"

The Doctor took a couple of deep breaths, ran a hand through his messed-up curly hair, and looked at the floor. "Um…."

"What's the matter?"

"SHUT UP, Clara. I'm working up my courage."

"It's about Gallifrey, isn't it?"

He paused, then dropped his head into his hands. "I lied. I lied, Clara, I didn't find it. I'll never find it. It's gone. Gone, Clara…."

Clara moved closer to rub the Doctor's shoulders as he cried desperately, and she felt just how tense he was. "You're really tense, Doctor," she murmured.

"Why do you think that is?" he almost shouted, jerking away from her. "It's not like my life has been the most relaxing thing lately, has it?"

"Of course it hasn't," Clara replied soothingly. "It never is, though, is it? All this running about and saving helpless damsels...I think you need some de-stressing."

The Doctor looked up at her. "What do you mean?"

"I have just the thing to help you relax and let go of your stress," Clara confided. "...Do you have a dark room, somewhere where we can concentrate?"

"Ah, yes. I have just the room….Come with me."

The Doctor took Clara through a maze of passages until they reached a locked door. "This is my Universe Room," he said. "Don't get too absorbed…." And he unlocked the door.

"Woah," Clara gasped. She couldn't tell what was the ceiling, what was the floor, if there were any walls, what shape the ceiling was...everything was full of stars and planets and galaxies and nebulas, all spinning and rotating in a beautiful chaos. "Doctor, this is…."

"Wonderful. Come in, sit on the floor...what was it you wanted to show me?"

"There's a technique I use to help me relax, and sometimes sleep. You can sit, or lie down, or whatever makes you comfortable."

The Doctor carefully laid back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Clara laid next to him. "Close your eyes," she said. When she was certain he had, she continued. "Now, start concentrating on your breathing. Count each breath, in and out. One...two...three….Let all your problems out through your breaths. They flow out of your hearts, into your lungs, and out through your breaths."

They laid there in silence for a long time, just breathing, completely relaxed.

After hours and hours, the Doctor opened his eyes to see Clara asleep next to him, one hand on his arm. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful...unlike any human he'd ever seen. On a whim, he leaned down and kissed her forehead before standing and leaving the room, a whole new man.

When Clara woke up, she was still in the room full of stars. She had no idea where the walls were, where the door was...she felt stranded in the middle of the Universe. "Doctor?" she called out. "Doctor?"

A burst of pain in her head, a flash of light, and she knew where the Doctor was. She wasn't sure how, but she knew. She also knew a lot of what he was thinking at that second, and it was mostly about her. She blushed. But she was lost.

"DOCTOR!" she yelled.

Still nothing, not even from his thoughts. And the freaking TARDIS wasn't going to help, either.

Fine. Clara sat down on the surprisingly comfortable floor and closed her eyes, meditating, focusing on the Doctor's mind, aiming one thought at it.

 _CLARA!_ The Doctor finally got the message. _I'm coming. Just hang in there,_ he told her.

Even his thoughts had the ridiculous accent.

It took him ten minutes to get there. When he finally flung the door open, Clara leapt up and hugged him tightly. He hung his arms awkwardly in the air for a second, then gingerly put his arms around her and held her, too.

And then, she felt a stab of pain in the Doctor's thoughts and he groaned and pulled away, sinking to the floor. "Doctor? Are you okay?"

"Mind...something...inside…." The Doctor clutched at the floor, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched in agony.

Clara panicked. What to do? What to do? Then, she suddenly had a brilliant idea that could work.

"Doctor...can you meditate for me?"

"At a time like this?"

"It clears your mind of thought...maybe it'll clear your mind of more than thought."

"How does one go about it when...agh...when there's something else in there?"

"Gain control. Come on, Doctor. You're the strongest being in the Universe; you're a Time Lord! I know you can do this! You've faced a lot worse on your travels, you can face this. Don't let it in, now…."

"Clara...how am I supposed to meditate with...uhn...with you causing such a racket?"

"Oh. Sorry."

The Doctor sat back against what was presumably the wall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He sat there for minutes, then hours. Then, suddenly, his eyes flew open.

"My hearts are beating so hard, Clara."

Clara placed a gentle hand on his chest. Even through all his layers, she could feel his twin hearts pounding.

"Clara…."

"Oh, sorry, right...not a touchy person. I forgot."

"No….Thank you for helping me. I'd never have gotten through without you."

And, to the surprise of both of them, the Doctor leaned forward and kissed Clara. Right on the mouth.

Clara hesitated for half an instant, then returned the gesture.

Best. Alien. Ever.


End file.
